MATTHEW WOODGATE FROM MAIDSTONE AND ASHFORD SENTENCED FOR PREDATORY SEX OFFENSES AT STOUR CENTRE AND STOUR LEISURE CENTRE
| Red Rose Database
Maidstone Ashford Rapist
In March 2016, a disturbing case emerged involving Matthew Woodgate, a known sex offender with a troubling history of predatory behavior towards children at public swimming facilities in Ashford and Maidstone. The case details reveal a pattern of escalating offenses, culminating in an attempted rape that has now led to a significant increase in his prison sentence.
Woodgate, who was previously convicted and sentenced in September 2014 to four years under an extended sentence for public protection, had a long history of criminal conduct related to child sexual offenses. At that time, he was 23 years old and had lured an eight-year-old boy into a cubicle at The Stour Centre in Ashford. There, he took indecent photographs and videos of the child, actions that were part of his ongoing pattern of exploiting young victims in the vicinity of swimming pools.
However, subsequent revelations from the victim indicated that the nature of Woodgate’s misconduct was even more serious than initially understood. The victim disclosed that Woodgate had attempted to commit a sexual assault, an admission that prompted authorities to revisit his case. As a result, Woodgate admitted to attempting to rape the boy, a crime that significantly heightened the severity of his culpability.
Following this new development, the court determined that Woodgate must serve an additional minimum of five years in prison before he becomes eligible for parole. Upon release, he will be subject to a two-and-a-half-year period of supervision on licence. This extension reflects the gravity of his offenses and the court’s concern over his potential risk to the community.
Woodgate’s criminal history is extensive. He previously resided on Tufton Street in Maidstone and had been jailed in August 2013 for two years after breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) imposed in 2008. That order was originally issued following his conviction for downloading child sex abuse images. The breach involved engaging in lewd conversations with two eight-year-old boys at the same swimming pool in Ashford, further demonstrating his persistent pattern of offending.
During the investigation, authorities seized Woodgate’s computers, uncovering additional indecent images and videos stored in the changing rooms of the pool. The evidence was gathered after inquiries at local schools, where witnesses recounted meeting Woodgate at the pool and going into the shower together. One young boy recounted how Woodgate met him at the pool, and they went into the shower, with the boy’s father becoming alarmed when his son was missing for some time. The boy later described how Woodgate had asked him not to report the incident to the police, saying, “I hope you are not going to make a fuss and report me to the police like other people.”
Woodgate faced multiple charges, including child abduction, engaging in sexual activity with a child, and possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He admitted to these charges, except for making indecent images, which was part of the evidence collected against him. His actions and the evidence presented painted a disturbing picture of a man with a long-standing and deeply troubling pattern of sexual misconduct involving minors.
His criminal record dates back to 2006, when, at the age of 15, he was arrested on suspicion of oral rape of a seven-year-old boy. Although he received a final warning and was banned from unsupervised contact with children, his subsequent actions demonstrated a persistent and escalating risk. In June 2013, he was caught at the Stour Leisure Centre in Ashford, breaching his SOPO by approaching two eight-year-old boys and engaging them in inappropriate conversations about their genitals. He even offered one of the boys money, which frightened the child so much that he told his mother he feared he was about to be raped.
During sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Carey emphasized the seriousness of Woodgate’s offenses. He stated, “I do not underestimate the impact on any child being subjected to this kind of frightening, humiliating and degrading experience, which will no doubt remain with him for many years.” The judge also highlighted that Woodgate had “come very close indeed” to actually raping the boy in the pool cubicle, and only the intervention of the victim’s father prevented a further tragedy. The judge described the new allegations of attempted rape as significantly more serious and justified a much longer sentence.
Judge Carey underscored that Woodgate remains a substantial risk of reoffending until he responds positively to treatment. While acknowledging his apparent sincerity in seeking help, the court’s primary concern remains the protection of children from his depraved interests. The judge concluded by condemning Woodgate’s repeated offenses, which demonstrate the ongoing danger he poses to vulnerable minors in the community of Ashford and Maidstone.
Woodgate, who was previously convicted and sentenced in September 2014 to four years under an extended sentence for public protection, had a long history of criminal conduct related to child sexual offenses. At that time, he was 23 years old and had lured an eight-year-old boy into a cubicle at The Stour Centre in Ashford. There, he took indecent photographs and videos of the child, actions that were part of his ongoing pattern of exploiting young victims in the vicinity of swimming pools.
However, subsequent revelations from the victim indicated that the nature of Woodgate’s misconduct was even more serious than initially understood. The victim disclosed that Woodgate had attempted to commit a sexual assault, an admission that prompted authorities to revisit his case. As a result, Woodgate admitted to attempting to rape the boy, a crime that significantly heightened the severity of his culpability.
Following this new development, the court determined that Woodgate must serve an additional minimum of five years in prison before he becomes eligible for parole. Upon release, he will be subject to a two-and-a-half-year period of supervision on licence. This extension reflects the gravity of his offenses and the court’s concern over his potential risk to the community.
Woodgate’s criminal history is extensive. He previously resided on Tufton Street in Maidstone and had been jailed in August 2013 for two years after breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) imposed in 2008. That order was originally issued following his conviction for downloading child sex abuse images. The breach involved engaging in lewd conversations with two eight-year-old boys at the same swimming pool in Ashford, further demonstrating his persistent pattern of offending.
During the investigation, authorities seized Woodgate’s computers, uncovering additional indecent images and videos stored in the changing rooms of the pool. The evidence was gathered after inquiries at local schools, where witnesses recounted meeting Woodgate at the pool and going into the shower together. One young boy recounted how Woodgate met him at the pool, and they went into the shower, with the boy’s father becoming alarmed when his son was missing for some time. The boy later described how Woodgate had asked him not to report the incident to the police, saying, “I hope you are not going to make a fuss and report me to the police like other people.”
Woodgate faced multiple charges, including child abduction, engaging in sexual activity with a child, and possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He admitted to these charges, except for making indecent images, which was part of the evidence collected against him. His actions and the evidence presented painted a disturbing picture of a man with a long-standing and deeply troubling pattern of sexual misconduct involving minors.
His criminal record dates back to 2006, when, at the age of 15, he was arrested on suspicion of oral rape of a seven-year-old boy. Although he received a final warning and was banned from unsupervised contact with children, his subsequent actions demonstrated a persistent and escalating risk. In June 2013, he was caught at the Stour Leisure Centre in Ashford, breaching his SOPO by approaching two eight-year-old boys and engaging them in inappropriate conversations about their genitals. He even offered one of the boys money, which frightened the child so much that he told his mother he feared he was about to be raped.
During sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Carey emphasized the seriousness of Woodgate’s offenses. He stated, “I do not underestimate the impact on any child being subjected to this kind of frightening, humiliating and degrading experience, which will no doubt remain with him for many years.” The judge also highlighted that Woodgate had “come very close indeed” to actually raping the boy in the pool cubicle, and only the intervention of the victim’s father prevented a further tragedy. The judge described the new allegations of attempted rape as significantly more serious and justified a much longer sentence.
Judge Carey underscored that Woodgate remains a substantial risk of reoffending until he responds positively to treatment. While acknowledging his apparent sincerity in seeking help, the court’s primary concern remains the protection of children from his depraved interests. The judge concluded by condemning Woodgate’s repeated offenses, which demonstrate the ongoing danger he poses to vulnerable minors in the community of Ashford and Maidstone.